Extensible foot for ladders

ABSTRACT

An extensible foot for ladders for adjustment of the ladder to uneven and slanting terrain, comprising a channel fixed on at least one of the sidepieces of the ladder, by a bolt passing through one of the crosspieces thereof, and a lockable sliding channel in the fixed channel.

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee EXTENSIBLE FOOT FOR LADDERS 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 182/201 Int. Cl E06c 7/44 Field of Search 182/201, 203, 204, 207

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,360,640 10/1944 Bengert 182/204 2,599,117 6/1952 Maxson 182/204 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado At!orneyCharles R. Fay

ABSTRACT: An extensible foot for ladders for adjustment of the ladder to uneven and slanting terrain, comprising a channel fixed on at least one of the sidepieces of the ladder, by a I bolt passing through one of the crosspieces thereof, and a lockable sliding channel in the fixed channel.

1 EXTENSIBLE FOOT FOR LADDERS BACKGROUND OF THE lNYENTlON ladder so that an adjustment of any degree desired may be achieved by a simple loosening of a bolt, adjustment of the ex-- tensible foot, and retightening of the bolt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the case of an aluminum ladder which has crosspieces that are hollow for instance, or are channel shaped, this inven tion'provides a two-piece bolt to extend from one sidepiece to the other through the channel or hollow crosspiece and to secure at its ends a channel member'having side edge flanges extending from the sidepiece of the ladder outwardly thereof and including means to pennanently secure this channel in the desired location relative to the lower end of the sidepiece of the ladder, and a slidable channel in the fixed channel.

The first-named, permanently positioned channel has inwardly directed lips at the ends of its edge flanges and the slidable channel is provided with means for applying pressure to the bottom of the fixed channel, the lips on the fixed channel acting as reaction points to quickly and easily secure the adjustable channelat the desired position.Y'

A BRIEF DESCRlPTlONOF THE DRAWlNGS F 1G. 1 is a view in elevation ofalower part of a ladder with the present invention applied at the bottom ends of each of the It will be clearly appreciated thateither the permanent channel 16 or that at 16' may be utilized or both of them'may be utilized, and in any event channel 16 or 16 each contain an interior slidable channel generally indicated by thereference numeral 42. This channel 42 has upstanding edge flanges 44,

44, the ends of whichare received under thelips 32 so that the slidable channels 42 are snuglyand slidably received,each in its permanent channel '16 or 16'. I

Each channel 42 has an interior permanently attached block 46 containing the head 48 of akbolt 50. The bolt 50 is provided with a member 52 adapted to be turned by means of handle 54 and when this handle is turned for instance in a clockwise direction, the head bears against the bottom 34 of channel 16 or 16' as the case may be. tending thereby to "in the other permanent channel 16 is located with its lower end equivalent to or equal with the lower end 24 of the channel l6".

It will also be appreciated that the same construction can be used with wooden ladders also, in which case the bolt construction 20, 22preferably underlies one of the wooden cross pieces of such wooden ladder, but otherwise the structure is the same as describ'edwith the parts 'of thebolt 20, 22 extending through holes in the sidepieces of the wooden ladder.

crosspieces thereof and showing one only'of thedevices extended; I

FIG. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale on line 24 of FIG. 1;

FIG; 3 is a view in front elevation ofthe fixed channel, parts being broken away and in section; and

FIG. 4 is a view in frontelevation showingthe adjustable channel.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF Tan ENTION As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 there are indicated in general sidepieces of an aluminum ladder which may compriseany kind of conformation but are here shown as inwardly directed or facing channels 10 andl2. These are'connected by the gaged with a plug or the like 22 extending in from the othersidepiece as at 12, see FIG. 2. This boltalsohas a countersunk head as shown in order to connect another like channel 16' to 'theside sidepiece 12. The reasonfortheelongated slot 18 is to provide for positioning the channels l6, 16 where desired,

I claim:

1. An extensible foot for ladders of the type having a pair of sidepieces with connecting crosspieces, and comprising a channel-shaped member, means substantially permanently connecting the same to one of the sidepieces of the ladder adjacent the lower end thereof, said channel comprising a bot? permanent channel thereby tending to move the slidable chani.e., slightly passing thelower' ends of thesidepiecesfl'h'ebottom'edgesof the permanent 'channels16, 16' are indicated at 24.

At the lower ends of the channels 16 and l6",'it is preferred that a lip 28 be. provided for the purpose of positioning, the

lowerend 26 of the respective sidepiece.

The channels "16 and'16' are provided with side edge flanges nel in the direction away therefrom, clamping the edges of the flanges of the slidable channelat the'under sidesurfaces of the lips on the flanges of thepermanent channel.

2. The extensible footfor laddersas recited"in claimdjina eluding means onthepermanent channel for engagementwith: the extreme lower end'lportion of the sidepiece, towhjchit i's attached and locating the permanent channel witl' aazeg peetiv thereto.

3. The extensible foot for ladders as recitedin claim 'I wherein the means for securing the permanent channel -to-the ladder comprises a twopart'bolt, the partsthereofbeingad justably connected together and each part "including ahead one of the heads being adapted to bear-on said -permanent channel bottom and hold itagainst:thesidepiece;oftfihetladder.

4. The extensible foot for ladders as recited'inclaimi I:

wherein the means forsecuring the perrnanent-rchannel' to the ladder comprises a two-part bolt, the partsrthereef bei'n'g ad justably connected together andeach part includingva hsada oneof the headsbeing adapted to bear on said perrnanent therewith.

5. The extensible foot for-ladders asrecitedin-claim '1 .wherein the ladder is of metal and-the crosspiece receivesthe means securing the permanent channeltotheladd'er;

wherein the ladder is of metal and the crosspiece comprises a bolt, said bolt extending across the ladder and being concealed by the crosspiece. 

1. An extensible foot for ladders of the type having a pair of sidepieces with connecting crosspieces, and comprising a channelshaped member, means substantially permanently connecting the same to one of the sidepieces of the ladder adjacent the lower end thereof, said channel comprising a bottom and spaced side flanges at the edges of the bottom, and inwardly directed lips at the free end edges of said flanges; and a slidable channel mounted in said first-named channel, said slidable channel including edge flanges which nest in the first-named channel and slidably impinge upon the inside surfaces of the lips on the flanges thereof, and means on said slidable channel providing for exerting a force on the bottom of the permanent channel thereby tending to move the slidable channel in the direction away therefrom, clamping the edges of the flanges of the slidable channel at the under side surfaces of the lips on the flanges of the permanent channel.
 2. The extensible foot for ladders as recited in claim 1 including means on the permanent channel for engagement with the extreme lower end portion of the sidepiece to which it is attached and locating the permanent channel with respect thereto.
 3. The extensible foot for ladders as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for securing the permanent channel to the ladder comprises a two-part bolt, the parts thereof being adjustably connected together and each part including a head, one of the heads being adapted to bear on said permanent channel bottom and hold it against the sidepiece of the ladder.
 4. The extensible foot for ladders as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for securing the permanent channel to the ladder comprises a two-part bolt, the parts thereof being adjustably connected together and each part including a hEad, one of the heads being adapted to bear on said permanent channel bottom and hold it against the sidepiece of the ladder, said two-part bolt extending from one sidepiece of the ladder to the other sidepiece of the ladder and being engaged therewith.
 5. The extensible foot for ladders as recited in claim 1 wherein the ladder is of metal and the crosspiece receives the means securing the permanent channel to the ladder.
 6. The extensible foot for ladders as recited in claim 1 wherein the ladder is of metal and the crosspiece comprises a bolt.
 7. The extensible foot for ladders as recited in claim 1 wherein the ladder is of metal and the crosspiece comprises a bolt, said bolt extending across the ladder and being concealed by the crosspiece. 